Muppets Based on Contemporary Celebrities/Pop Culture

[Whatnot1988]

Some Muppet characters were influenced by popular culture around the time that they were designed. Many were inspired by celebrities.

Dr. Teeth, for example, was based on New Orleans singer Dr. John.

Any other examples?

 

[Gonzo14]

All the Electric Mayhem Members had influences


Animal from Keith Moon

Floyd from Pink Floyd

Janice from Janis Joplin

Zoot from Zoot Simms

 

[Hartley]

I'm sure there's more than a hint of early Tom Waits in Rowlf

Phil

 

[beakerfan76]

Wasn't Johnny Fiama based off crooners like Frank Sinatra?

 

[Drtooth]

Wasn't Johnny Fiama based off crooners like Frank Sinatra?

Well, the character of Johnny Fiama was an invention of Bill Barretta and his brother LONG before Muppets Tonight. It's not so much a parody of Sinatra, as much as it's a parody of lounge singers that want to be Sinatra.

 

[beakerfan76]

Oh, I get it now. He just gave off some Sinatra vibes to me.

 

[Hartley]

Bit of an obscure one this, but surely Bobby Benson (leader of the Muppet Baby Band) was influenced by the late American guitarist Robert Quine?

Phil

 

[Skekayuk]

Well strangely I think Annie Sue Pig, despite being an American character, has more than a hint of a certain British actress about her (at the time the lady concerned, a stage school trained kid, had been touring in various musicals, and not yet made it into the West End, though funnily enough she did subsequently make it into West End theatre, as a principal (often minor principal), and indeed to this day is a working actress on the West End stage, not perhaps a big name, but nevertheless a noteable actress. The kind of stalwert good West End shows (such as Oliver! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mamma Mia etc need).

 

[Princeton]

All the Electric Mayhem Members had influences


Animal from Keith Moon

Floyd from Pink Floyd

Janice from Janis Joplin

Zoot from Zoot Simms

I'd always heard that Zoot was based on Charlie Parker. And I always got Tony Bennett vibes from Johnny Fiama rather than Sinatra.

 

[Whatnot1988]

Of course, Floyd's outfit was inspired by the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album, hence his full name Sgt. Floyd Pepper.